I don’t know how they came to be.For so many years we just wore normal, comfy, bun-hugging panties.Some were cut higher, some were cut lower, but they were all mostly okay. It wasn’t until the late ’90s that Big Fashion decided that what ladies really needed were panties that chafe in places where God never intended there to be chafing.Oh sure, I know they’re supposed to prevent unsightly pantilines, but really, that can mostly be prevented by wearing seamless or flat-seamed bikini panties and avoiding tissue-thin, skintight fabrics.No, the thong’s purpose is to expose maximum asscheekage, so that diaphanous tight skirts and stretchy pants spread smoothly over your hindquarters, as though there’s nothing between you and your Calvins.Some women actually go a step farther, turning an undergarment designed for discretion into a sexytime red flag by flashing the stringy top part above their waistline—this reportedly was Bill Clinton’s undoing in l’affaire Lewinsky.

Yet, even if that appeals to you, there’s no getting around the fact that actually wearing a thong just plain sucks.In my experience, they range on the discomfort scale from from mildly irritating to “hairshirt for ladyparts.”The elastic takes on a life of its own, crawling insistently up your asscrack until its edges are firmly embedded in some of the most sensitive skin on your entire body.This leads to surreptitious but increasingly desperate attempts to pluck it free without being noticed.And even if you do manage to accomplish a graceful, unseen wedgie-pull, it only buys you a few moments’ relief before the thong wiggles right back up again.I’ve had moments where I literally wanted to rip off the offending thong in front of a roomful of people; the embarrassment seemed preferable to the diabolical tugging and chafing action going on under my skirt.

Now, aside from being hella uncomfortable, there are other, more important reasons not to wear one.Gynecologists firmly believe that the thong is not your friend. My gyno refers to them as “waterslides for bacteria”, since the stringy bit that constantly slides back and forth can easily transfer fecal bacteria to the urinary tract, creating the perfect conditions for a roaring UTI.Additionally, multiple medical sources claim that regular thong-wearing can is associated with hemorrhoids, clitoral irritation and—yowch!—lacerations to the vulva or anus.

But as usual, women’s health and comfort comes a distant second in the pursuit of The Sexy. Like many hideously uncomfortable fashion accessories, thongs are fetishized as alluring and erotic.There’s something about the exposed asscheeks, the string disappearing coyly between them, that men seem to love.A former boyfriend of mine, raised in an Orthodox Jewish community where women always wore ankle-length skirts, was utterly delighted by thongs—to him they were the ultimate in naughty, especially when worn under one of those long skirts. The simultaneous play of reveal and conceal really charged his batteries. And he was not alone. I always kept a few thongs in the back of my underwear drawer for the rare occasions when I wore a skirt too short to go commando or too tight to wear with regular undies.The men in my life often lived in hope that I would wear them.They were frequently disappointed, unless I consented to wear them for a romantic evening when I knew that, well, I wouldn’t be wearing them long.

At the height of thong sales in Canada, NPD reports that the cheeky underwear represented slightly more than 16 per cent of the national underwear market. But by 2007, thongs had slipped to a 12-per-cent share, indicating a 4.3-per-cent fall.

In the U.S., NPD shows thongs have gone from representing 23 per cent of dollar sales of underwear in 2004 to 17.7 per cent in 2007. As in Canada, the decline is the steepest of any of the seven major styles of underwear observed in that period.

The U.K. has seen the biggest drop of all, with thongs having represented a third of all underwear sales in 2003 but just 12 per cent of sales in 2007, according to British retail analyst TNS.

Women apparently got fed up with thongs and are switching to more comfortable scanties:

In Canada, NPD shows sales of boy shorts are up 15 per cent over 2004. In the U.S., the style is up a whopping 64 per cent over that same period.

I’m a big fan of boyshorts; Calvin Klein and Gap Body make some nice ones.The ones made of stretchy material prevent VPL under skirts and tight pants just as well as thongs do (and—service-y interlude—I often nix VPL by taking a pantiliner, sticking it to the crotch of tight pants and going commando).The jury is still out as to whether men find the boyshorts as alluring as thongs, but really, until they’re willing to spend days walking around with a band of elastic chafing their hairy asscracks, I don’t think they get a say in the matter.

I do not wear thongs. If panty lines are THAT big of an issue, I either go commando or don’t wear the offending garment.

To me, the entire point of underwear is to stay out of my butt. I spend lots of time trying to prevent wedgies, and I can’t handle a garment that is basically a permanent wedgie. I wear cotton panties from American Eagle’s aerie line that sort of look like little boys underpants, only with girly patterns on them. They don’t even have elastic, so they are the height of comfort. If I want to look special for sexytimes, I just wear boyshorts, the kind that let the bottom of the cheeks hang out just a bit. I haven’t noticed that my guy is any less enthused about them than he is for the thongs that rarely see any wear at all.

Having a giant, possibly doody-stained, wedgie for a day? No thank you. I never liked and never understood those who liked thongs. The dude doesn’t like them either, though I can’t say that even if he did I would ever wear them. And now I can say that I don’t wear them because they are medically dangerous. Score.

I understand that they are not always the *most* comfortable, but I have to say–as a girl with a booty, all these newly-sexy undies, like boyshorts, cheekies, or whathaveyou, are the WORST. you can’t wear booty shorts unless, ironically, you don’t really have one. no good solutions for the girls with badonks, yet again.

Given that every pair of underwear I have ever worn has wound up crawling up my ass, I’m happy to wear something designed to fit there comfortably. For those of us with a little extra “junk in the trunk” they’re a godsend.

That said, I don’t wear them to work out in, but for just everyday wear, yes.

The first woman I ever knew to wear one was the manager of the video store where I worked who sang their praises. Her logic was simple, “It’s going up my ass anyway, I might as well have something comfortable up there.” And she even got her husband to wear them—but he had to go back to boxers when they started trying to have kids.

As for me, I won’t deny their allure, but if you’d told me ten years ago I’d get tired of seeing a woman’s ass and underwear when she bent over, I’d have called you a liar.

I only own cotton underwear from VS or those Hanes 5 packs you can get at any Duane Reade – save my one Sexy Pair which is satin and only worn for short amounts of time. I’ve never felt comfortable going commando, but I’ve been known to don stretchy biker shorts under skirts because my thighs just can’t keep their chafing hands off eachother…

My behind is not exactly that of a supermodel’s, but I do wear thongs on occasion. Really, some of them are comfortable. And if they’re not, I won’t wear them. I much prefer boyshorts and briefs, but for whatever reason I don’t mind thongs.

I avoid thongs as much as I can, but if there is a VPL issue going on, I’ll take them. I don’t find them *that* uncomfortable, but I have heard horror stories about UTI’s and normal underwear is more comfortable!

My big ass + love handles requires a very specific type of underwear. Thongs, to me, no bullshit, are the most comfortable. The but huggers always get lodged in unfortunate positions. Hanky Panky thongs are the best…a wide lace strap to minimize love handles AND they don’t look incredibly skanky.

I do enjoy the boyshorts for lounging around the house though. I cannot put my bare ass on the tweed couch.

sarah.of.a… It’s just strange and telling to me that women are weighing on the look of whatever sort of underthings they put on themselves, and how they may be uncomfortable or only worn for a short time. That women own and pay attention “sex-havin’ knickers” (and no one has yet to say “I like my partner to wear X when we get it on”) makes me think that many women still see themselves, even (or especially) when it comes to sex, from the outside first.

Or maybe my LTR with a dude who is pretty cool with me, however I’m dressed, and my humorless, sex-neutral (TM) feminism makes me completely out of touch.

I guess I could just ask people “what is underwear for?” to get to heart of it a bit quicker.

I have never understood the idea behind thongs or even lingerie in general before sex. That’s not to say I don’t own any, but when they are lying in a crumpled heap on the floor about 5 seconds after I’ve put them on, I always feel like I’ve wasted a ton of money. I’ve given up on that kind of thing. Why unclothe only to re-clothe only to unclothe again? Thongs and lingerie are the middle men that are begging to be cut out of the equation.

@PhDork: I always thought open-crotch bloomers sounded terrific–convenient and much less chance of yeast infections (what with the constant air circulation). I should buy a pair in case Mr. Darcy stops by.

You thong-lovers out there must have tougher undercarriages than me! Some thong brands are better than others but none of them are what I’d call comfy. I am quite fond of Gap or CK or M&S bikini panties–I find they have enough elastic around the legs to keep from riding up and creating an unintentional thong.

@PhD: Well, as I said, it’s only for myself. So it’s usually comfy cotton, maybe with lace trim or something. I have a few thongs but they’re at the bottom of my undie drawer. And my bras are not exactly sexxxxxy. Comfort > sensuality, especially when nobody sees it but me.

The other Harpies know this but I can’t quit snickering at “I seem to be in the minority of people who focus on getting undressed for sex.” It’s been like 45 straight minutes now.

But, I snicker because it’s so sadly true. I mean, I am super self-conscious about disrobing because I object to parts of my body. (Try as I might to suppress bad self-talk, it gets through the filter.) So even without the clothes, I see myself from the outside, PhD. And as Becky says, after all, I’m a man-hater! If I can’t get over it…

@claire: Trust me it was money well spent. It’s just another part of foreplay or setting the mood. And it does go both ways. The only pair of bikini briefs I’ve ever owned were because that’s what she liked. I wore them on the times I’d knew she’d see them, but never otherwise. And when she was gone, so were they. Silk boxers always got a nice response but they had to be hand-washed, which was a pain for someone used to low maintenance underwear.

Ph.D: at least for ME, a lot of my arousal is mental, so putting on something “sexy” can actually help me get into the mindset of sex, and actually help me feel more sexy and sexual. Which I think is fine and dandy in the bedroom.

Most of the time, I don’t take the time to wear something sexy for sexytimes. I’m either already in my pjs (usually I sleep in cotton nightgowns from Old Navy or aerie), or I’ve just stripped off whatever I’ve worn to work. But sometimes I find, when I’m not feeling in the “mood” so to speak, or if I want to have sex but my body’s not cooperating, taking the time to say, put on lotion and something “sexy” helps me get turned on, because I’m like, preparing myself or something.

@Pilgrim: Taking for granted Claire is wearing them for a dude (forgive my presumption, Claire, if you are not), then dudely response is very much part of the issue. And as a dude I can tell you it’s not a waste. And the faster we move to get you out of them, the more you can be assured the money was well spent so if all it took was 5 seconds, then I’m thinking you’ve got some excellent taste in undergarments.

@Becky: Yes, everyone loves them. If only gay men didn’t so dominate the industry with styles that scream “HEY, THERE’S COCK HERE!” I’m pretty sure people know where my junk it without arrows pointing to it on the front. But if a woman liked it, I’d wear it for the prerequisite 5 seconds without hesitation.

I wear thongs a lot of the time, and most of them do not bother me. I have a few pairs that ride up and I spend all day plucking out, but I only wear those on laundry days. I have noticed, though, that if I wear thongs right after shaving, I am more prone to ingrown hairs or irritation on my labial area.

I also wear boyshorts. Boyshorts rock and I think they are so much sexier than thongs, personally. A girl in boyshorts never fails to make my jaw drop.

Though, the other day it was laundry day and I ended up wearing little boy’s Superman tightie-whities that I had bought for a Halloween costume a few years back. THAT was hot.

@Mac: Dude, if Big Fashion is selling us women sweats with JUICY across the ass, you can wear a pair of 2Exist boxer-briefs without complaining. At least the junk-arrow’s not visible when you’re clothed!

@Mac: Allow me to revise. Claire was not, to my understanding, conducting a poll as to whether “dudes who read this comment on the internet” believe her money was well spent, nor do I consider your personal opinion as to the necessity/value of lingerie to be representative of the view of dudekind as a whole.

I think perhaps you do not realize how your comments come across, in general, but specifically as to this situation: women are not in need of a dude to enlighten them that dudes enjoy lingerie. They know this as a matter of mere survival, which is why, in the first place, they feel pressured to wear thongs.

Moreover, your statement was not indicative that you thought that dudely approval was one of a variety of factors under consideration. Your statement, i.e. “trust me, it’s worth it,” implies, strongly, that it is the only one that matters.

Nevermind that as stated in our apparently never-read commenting FAQ that men are welcome here so long as they plan “to participate in the discussion rather than dominate it.” This being a discussion about women’s underwear, I am not quite clear why you think (a) your view as to women’s underwear ought to govern; or (b) your proclivities as to your own underwear are of interest.

funnyface, arousal is hugely a mental thing (you’ve heard the joke: Q: What’s the biggest sex organ? A: The brain! Wakka wakka wakka!), but here again we come to the issue of what is “sexy,” and how that thing–fancy knickers or whatever–got to be “sexy” in your mind. In so many minds; I’m addressing you presently, but in the interest of the larger question.

I don’t know (or particularly care) who invented thong underwear, and it’s clear from the comments here that some women find them comfortable, but my point is: if you’re aroused by wearing thong underwear, I’m curious as to why? “Because thongs are sexy” begs the question. Because your dude likes to see your bum almost-but-not-totally-bared? Because their wedgie action makes you aware of your genitals? What is it? And re: preparing oneself… again, I get that paying explicit attention to your body is a nice way to anticipate someone else paying explicit attention to your body, but why thongs, or lingerie at all? Why not a massage, or a bath, or yoga, or something that is about how your body feels to you, rather than how it will be gift-wrapped for someone else?

@ Mac: Ph.Dork and Pilgrim Soul have said better than I can the issues I had with your comment, so I will say this.

If only gay men didn’t so dominate the industry with styles that scream “HEY, THERE’S COCK HERE!” I’m pretty sure people know where my junk it without arrows pointing to it on the front. But if a woman liked it, I’d wear it for the prerequisite 5 seconds without hesitation.

So, gay men and straight men cannot like the same kinds of underwear? Does liking a certain kind of underwear “make you gay?” Please. Also, 90% of the men that I have dated have worn boxer briefs and none, to my knowledge, were gay. And lest you forget that while gay men like looking at cock, many straight women enjoy it as well. So many women WOULD appreciate a man in underwear tight enough to give a peek of what’s beneath, just like men like to see women in undergarments that are revealing/”sexy.”

If men can objectify women, certainly we can objectify men right back.

I think perhaps Mac and I are simply meant to disagree. To elaborate on my original comment, though:

I have been with the same man for over 7 years. I started dating him when I was 16. I married him when I was 23. After all this time I can firmly say that I feel comfortable in front of him, in my own skin and in reaching that point, I think he and I have both become increasingly aware of how lingerie is part of a larger social and gender ritual.

I am not opposed to thongs or lingerie–if you find them comfortable or enjoy them, by all means wear them proudly and happily. If you do not find them comfortable–as I do not–then I don’t see the reason for spending the money. They are simply part of a performance of “sexy” that to me seems increasingly used as a marketing tool and as a way to further perpetuate an unhealthy relationship with our bodies, which I would argue in turn, makes us want to spend even more money in an effort to improve upon our physical selves.

Wine, candlelight, lingerie. Why are these things regarded as sexier than orange juice, sunlight and a pair of cozy sweatpants? Sex is about sharing your body with someone else, as openly as possible. Every thing leading up to it is just performance, which can certainly be enjoyable and worthwhile. But why are lingerie and thongs considered the optimal costume for that performance more than any other type of clothing? That’s what I fail to understand and that’s why I always feel like I’ve wasted money. Sex immediately following the removal of garters isn’t categorically better than that following the removal of yoga pants.

Sometimes it totally IS about things that make my body feel really good, like coating myself with yummy lotion or body oil after a long hot shower and reveling in my own soft skin.

As to why a thong (or in my case cheeky panties, as I am not turned on by heinously uncomfortable undergarments and do not buy them) might be arousing for a woman as much as for a man…I think part of it is that I like my body, I like seeing it in the mirror, I like sex with the lights on, etc. But also, it just plain turns me on to know my husband thinks I’m hot and appreciates those things sometimes, just as much as he appreciates simply ripping off my sweatpants and attempting to coax me out of my fuzzy fuzzy socks. Occasionally wearing things that we both think are sexy (he has some sexy undapants as well) spices things up, and that’s necessary after years in a monogamous relationship sometimes.

Most full coverage underwear ends up bunched in the crack of my big ass, and boyshorts always do. I didn’t know they didn’t on other women. Is it not inevitable with the lack of elastic around the legs? I wear thongs and low cut bikini briefs, depending on my clothing. I don’t find the thongs too uncomfortable, but I avoid wearing them more for the health issues.